426 TYPES AND MARKET CLASSES OF LIVE STOCK 



Conformation. The saddle horse is considered by many 

 people to be the most stylish, beautiful, and finished of all horses. 

 The principal requirements in conformation are (1) a long, 

 refined neck, (2) nicely sloping pasterns and shoulders, and (3) 

 moderately high and refined withers. The lines of the head 

 should be cameo-like in sharpness and clean-cutness. An ideal 

 saddler will naturally have a head showing an unusually kind 

 disposition and high intelligence, for the intimate relation be- 

 tween horse and rider demands the best of manners in the horse 

 and thinking ability on both sides. The head should be set at 

 the right angle on a very long, refined, nicely arched neck. Un- 

 less there is lots of horse in front of the saddle, the appearance 

 is spoiled, and a horse with a short, straight, heavy neck is not 

 easily controlled. There should be easy flexion of jaw and neck, 

 and this is possible only with a long, refined neck, properly 

 arched. However, a "weedy" neck, that is, one lacking in 

 muscular development, is not wanted. Much attention must be 

 given to the slope of pastern and shoulder, for straight pasterns 

 and shoulders are more objectionable in the saddle horse than 

 in any other type because they are almost certain to make the 

 horse a hard rider. Height and refinement of withers are nec- 

 essary for a similar reason. Horses that are low in the forehand 

 are not comfortable to ride. Furthermore, the saddle cannot 

 be made secure on round, flat withers, this being particularly 

 true of the side saddle. The extension of the shoulder into the 

 back and shortness and strength of coupling are very important. 

 A straight or reached back does not afford an easy ride; there 

 should be a certain degree of springiness, without any weakness 

 or sway-backed conformation. The saddle horse is somewhat 

 upstanding, and the head and tail should be smartly carried. 



Refinement and finish. The saddle horse should possess 

 a high degree of quality, and lots of smoothness from end to 

 end. There should be greater refinement of head, ear, and 

 bone than in the heavy-harness type of horse. The shoulders 

 should be well laid in, and the hindquarters smoothly turned. 

 The smoothness of the typical saddler is in marked contrast 

 to the angular appearance of the roadster. Rotundity of body 

 is a highly desirable feature. Levelness of croup is more im- 

 portant in the saddle horse than in any other type; if a horse 

 has a steep croup, the defect is magnified a great deal when 

 the saddle is placed upon his back, and he presents a plain ap- 

 pearance. 



